Speaking w/ a Question Mark at End of Sentence

[DanC78]

I see this a lot in business. I even find myself doing this now. And people that I notice do this most are very smart people within the company.

Does anyone else do this?

And I'm talking about ending a sentence that is not a question, but ending the sentence with a tone as if you did ask a question.

It's like saying, "does that make sense" at the end of your sentence without saying it at all.

Am I making sense at all

 

[Spearchucker87]

I think I agree that this makes me sound as smart as I really am ?

 

[DanC78]

I prolly made no sense. Here is the best example I can do in text.

I went to the store? and we bought some milk?....ummm, I then came home?...and made a bowl of cereal??

And the eyebrow and face expression is crucial...maybe a slight tilt with the head.

lol...I'm making no sense

 

[OrlandNole]

The other thing I hear a lot of is the use of the word "So" in response to a question.

Here's a fun drinking game: Watch Shark Tank and take a drink every time someone leads a response off with "So..." after a shark asks a question.

 

[Spearchucker87]

I prolly made no sense. Here is the best example I can do in text.

I went to the store? and we bought some milk?....ummm, I then came home?...and made a bowl of cereal??

And the eyebrow and face expression is crucial...maybe a slight tilt with the head.

lol...I'm making no sense

Actually, although I was joking around, I thought I understood the first time. But now I'm completely flummoxed by your examples! Somebody asks me those sentences as questions with a tilt of the head, I'm thinking there might be dementia starting to crop up. Could you maybe give some workplace/meeting examples?

 

[NDallasRuss]

Yeah, I notice that some people will consistently end their sentences in an upward inflection - as if everything is a question. NDallasDaughter started doing that a while back and I made very sure to break her of it before it became more of a habit. It's annoying, and it doesn't make the speaker sound very intelligent - kind of a modern-day valley girl accent.

I've explained to the daughter that - fair or not - are going to judge you by how intelligently you speak. If you speak as if you're ignorant and uneducated, then people are going to perceive you to be that way, and that's how they'll treat you. I try to impress upon her the difference that a strong vocabulary and solid speaking skills will make in her life as she gets older. It's something that not everyone has, and it will help to further differentiate her from others as she competes for college admissions, jobs, etc.

 

[Originole1]

How about:
"I have spoken with everyone save for you as to their availability for an 8am conference call?"

While actually a statement it is meant as an inquiry?

 

[DanC78]

Yeah, I notice that some people will consistently end their sentences in an upward inflection - as if everything is a question. NDallasDaughter started doing that a while back and I made very sure to break her of it before it became more of a habit. It's annoying, and it doesn't make the speaker sound very intelligent - kind of a modern-day valley girl accent.

I've explained to the daughter that - fair or not - are going to judge you by how intelligently you speak. If you speak as if you're ignorant and uneducated, then people are going to perceive you to be that way, and that's how they'll treat you. I try to impress upon her the difference that a strong vocabulary and solid speaking skills will make in her life as she gets older. It's something that not everyone has, and it will help to further differentiate her from others as she competes for college admissions, jobs, etc.

YES...the upward inflection is key to this. You get it...it's pretty wild how many people I hear talking like this now. Now, I haven't looked at it as being unintelligent at all. just a habit I guess.

But yes, you get what I'm saying. Again, it's hard to explain in text. I don't think there is anything else I can do to help give examples.

 

[NDallasRuss]

YES...the upward inflection is key to this. You get it...it's pretty wild how many people I hear talking like this now. Now, I haven't looked at it as being unintelligent at all. just a habit I guess.

But yes, you get what I'm saying. Again, it's hard to explain in text. I don't think there is anything else I can do to help give examples.

Here it is for you:

 

[DanC78]

haha...yeah, that's it. I guess when I hear someone doing this they are explaining product or service, so it doesn't come off as valley girl like...but that's it for sure!

good find by the way.

 

[LesClaypool]

It's called uptalk and it's beyond annoying.

 

[Wendy79]

It's Valley Girl.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Teenage girls and younger talk like that.
You should stop if you really do talk this way.

 

[Wendy79]

How about the vocal fry?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/science/young-women-often-trendsetters-in-vocal-patterns.html?_r=0

 

[Lemon Thrower]

the upward inflection does not make you sound intelligent but rather noncommital and deferential.

if you do it, you should try to break the habit.

 

[ReliableOstrich]

Noticed it as well lately.

My theory is that it's a way for someone to suggest an idea or task to someone else while being able to defer blame if it goes awry. Since the approval or answer to your supposition is on someone else, you can't be blamed for the consequence or wasted time. Essentially a way of leading the witness, esp if you are higher on the totem pole - comes off kind of condescending as well if you ask me.

Examples:

Let's consider some digital ads for this product?
The 6:30 flight looks like it makes the most sense?
That Mexican restaurant looks like it won't give us all explosive diarrhea?

It's quite the impressive passive-aggressive technique - create a statement indicating you believe it to be true, then force the decision on someone else. If the Mexican restaurant is good, you suggested it; but if everyone winds up fighting to take a dump at the same time, Billy was the one who said it seemed safe.

 

[dmm5157]

Yeah, I notice that some people will consistently end their sentences in an upward inflection - as if everything is a question. NDallasDaughter started doing that a while back and I made very sure to break her of it before it became more of a habit. It's annoying, and it doesn't make the speaker sound very intelligent - kind of a modern-day valley girl accent.

I've explained to the daughter that - fair or not - are going to judge you by how intelligently you speak. If you speak as if you're ignorant and uneducated, then people are going to perceive you to be that way, and that's how they'll treat you. I try to impress upon her the difference that a strong vocabulary and solid speaking skills will make in her life as she gets older. It's something that not everyone has, and it will help to further differentiate her from others as she competes for college admissions, jobs, etc.

One particular individual I work with immediately came to mind when I saw this topic and your post rang true 100% for this individual.

Coincidentally or not, the person is female. She just got promoted to project manager and gets run over constantly. Doesn't have a backbone and folds any time anyone pushes back on her. When she speaks, everything ends with an upward inflection so it sounds like she's ending everything with a question.

Same sentence from here:

"Ok. So. Let's start on item one of the meeting agenda? Ok? I. Think. Um? That we should. Shoot for. The end of September? That way we have plans to show the client?"

It's the strangest and most painful thing to listen to. Comically, the automated voice for Suntrust sounds just like her. "Your? Payment? Was? Received? On? September? Tenth? ..." I need to record it the next time I call for something. Like nails on a chalkboard.

 

[jy2581]